# ScribblePad vs Papyrus

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ScribblePad at none against Papyrus's 2. ScribblePad also leads on iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Papyrus sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. ScribblePad asks for nothing beyond the download.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 7, 2026 and August 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ScribblePad | Papyrus |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scribblepad-notes-and-pdf/id6778096521/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **2** | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days | Every 4 days |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 5 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sagar Seth](https://appshunter.io/developer/6778096523) | [waraku kobayashi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1892218372) |

## What reviewers say

### ScribblePad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scribblepad-notes-and-pdf/id6778096521)

A private, free note-taking and PDF annotation app for Apple devices. It offers natural handwriting, organization tools, and optional cloud backup to your own storage. Enjoy a distraction-free experience with no accounts or tracking.

**Highlights:** Natural handwriting with Apple Pencil, PDF annotation and markup, Organize notes with subjects and notebooks, On-device handwriting search (OCR), Audio recording synced to notes, Optional Google Drive/iCloud backup, Offline functionality

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Papyrus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/papyrus-notes-pdf/id6779149036)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Papyrus Sync Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| Papyrus Sync Yearly | $9.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ScribblePad free?

ScribblePad is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Papyrus free?

Papyrus is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do ScribblePad or Papyrus have ads?

Neither ScribblePad nor Papyrus shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ScribblePad or Papyrus?

ScribblePad ships an update every 4 days, and Papyrus every 4 days. Most recently, ScribblePad was updated on September 7, 2026 and Papyrus on August 28, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*